education

The University of Chicago

Bachelor of Arts in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Expected, July 2022
Honors Included: Odyssey Scholar (2018), UChicago MRSEC STEM Research Exploration Fellow (2019), Metcalf Fellowship Grant (2020)

professional experience
STEMulation Escape Room, Writer
January 2021 – present

Promoting equitable anti-racist beliefs & practices by creating STEMulating educational experiences and resources.
Narrative writer for SpaceBox, a STEM escape room box trilogy set in an Afrofuturistic science fiction universe.

Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, Research Assistant
January 2019 – present

Built a plane tracker in Python for the BEACON experiment which aims to detect high-energy particles.
Correlated plane and BEACON data to find potential plane events and predict upcoming ones.
Analyzed balloon and IceCube data for Antarctica phased array experiment.
Developing next-gen antenna design ideas to be used for the Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland

Blue Origin, Aerospace Systems Engineering Intern
January 2022 – April 2022

Supported the Orbital Reef Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) Water Systems within the Advanced Development Programs
Drafted an Assembly, Integration, and Test Plan detailing the manufacturing build flow, hardware development, procurement, and testing to be completed for the water recovery and management system
Created interface diagrams presenting station-wide and external water system interfaces and hardware process flows
Built a working knowledge of space station ECLS and water management systems

Contributed to water system architecture development for Space Destinations habitat ECLS systems
Developed a schematic diagram for a near-term prototype flight water system
Provided hardware solutions for habitat passive humidity control
Familiarized the team with available testing infrastructure across Blue Origin facilities
Assisted with membrane water filtration testing within the Advanced Technology Human Spaceflight group

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Science Systems Engineering Intern
July 2021 – December 2021

Performed systems engineering duties for the Surface Biology and Geology component of the new NASA Earth System Observatory.
Completed JIRA project management for project systems engineering and research and applications.
Drafted science and spacecraft requirements for VSWIR, TIR, and Constellation Pathfinder instruments.

University of Chicago, ASTR 21400 Learning Assistant
September 2021 – December 2021

Assisted the Creative Machines and Innovative Instrumentation course focusing on the systematic processes of engineering and fundamentals of design and construction
Supported 3D printing sessions, electronic builds, and machining.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Carbon Cycle and Ecosystem Intern
July 2020 – July 2021

Princeton Satellite Systems, Spacecraft Engineering Intern
June 2019 – August 2019

Worked on the Direct Fusion Drive rocket engine that utilizes nuclear fusion propulsion developed by PSS in collaboration with the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
Wrote Python code calculating the magnetic field and plotting the field lines of the engine.
Simulated a CubeSat mission with the PSS Spacecraft Control toolbox.

MIT Online Science, Technology, and Engineering Community (MOSTEC), Student
June 2017 – January 2018

Used the tool DS9 to analyze various astronomical objects.
Created a presentation on gravitational wave research.
Wrote an article on advanced rocket propulsion, specifically nuclear propulsion and its power and possibilities.

Pioneer Academic Research Program, Research Scholar
June 2017 – September 2017

Completed an astrophysics paper focusing on gravitational waves.
Investigated the LVT151012 event that had a low confidence rate.
Reproduced and coded a spectrogram of the chirp based on the findings of another paper.

leadership & activity experience

REACH: A Space Podcast for Kids, Special Contributor
January 2021 – present

Creating specialized content for the podcast such as answering questions in REACHing out episodes and generally contributing to REACH content

The Triple Helix Inc., Science in Society Review Writer
December 2019 – present

Writing articles for the SISR publication, which explores the implications of the social, physical, and natural sciences on modern society.
Wrote an article on the history of NASA’s funding, focusing specifically on the history of the spacesuit.
Wrote an article on Mars human settlements and our evergrowing climate change issue.

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space at UChicago (SEDS-UChicago), Chapter Founder, President
November 2018 – present

Founded the SEDS-UChicago chapter to empower young people to participate and make an impact in space exploration through outreach and engineering projects.
Arranged an astronaut speaking event with an attendance of 200+ people.
Leading projects on model rocketry, high powered rocketry, and high altitude balloons.
Working with other science student organizations such as the Engineering Society to start more technical projects.

NASA JPL Solar System Ambassadors Program, Ambassador
December 2018 – present

Communicating to the general public about NASA’s upcoming missions, acting as an interface between the NASA community and the populace at large.

Providing financial support through fundraising for space and science programs in south side Chicago elementary schools.

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space USA (SEDS-USA), Director of Operations
November 2019 – August 2021

Managed the operations staff of SEDS-USA, including the Webmaster, Digital Media Specialists, Alumni Coordinators, and Wiki Manager.
Acted as a point of contact between the operations staff and the Executive Director

UChicago Housing and Residence Life, Resident Assistant
September 2020 – June 2021

Fostered a supportive and welcoming environment for residents living inside the dormitory
Supported Resident Heads by acting as a beacon of information regarding the UChicago and general Chicago community

Mars Academy USA, Analog Astronaut, Remote Mission Support Team
September 2019 – December 2019

Completed scientific projects and collaborated with crewmates during MAU Crew 1127, a simulated 4-day Mars analog mission in an isolated confined environment (ICE).
Supported the MAU Nepal mission by acting as part of the RMST with other scientists during assigned hours of the day.

publications & presentations

J. Morancy, “Development of a crossed-dipole antenna for future in-ice radio neutrino experiments” American Physical Society April Meeting (2022)
J. Morancy, et. al., “A Review of Climate Events as seen by ECOSTRESS” American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (2020)
S. Wissel, et. al., “Prospects for High-Elevation Radio Detection of >100 PeV Tau Neutrinos” JCAP11(2020)065

skills

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